Challans

Not to be confused with challan.

Challans (French: [ʃalɑ̃]) is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France. Challans station has rail connections to Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie and Nantes.

Challans
Commune
The church tower in Challans
Coat of arms
Location of Challans
Challans Show map of France Challans Show map of Pays de la Loire
Coordinates: 46°50′48″N 1°52′41″W
Country	France
Region	Pays de la Loire
Department	Vendée
Arrondissement	Les Sables-d'Olonne
Canton	Challans
Intercommunality	Challans-Gois Communauté
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Rémi Pascreau[1]
Area 1	64.84 km2 (25.03 sq mi)
Population  (2022)[2]	22,890
• Density	350/km2 (910/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	85047 /85300
Elevation	1–64 m (3.3–210.0 ft) (avg. 11 m or 36 ft)
Website	challans.fr
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Population

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1793 2,500 —     1800 2,783 +1.54% 1806 2,928 +0.85% 1821 3,307 +0.81% 1831 3,288 −0.06% 1836 3,640 +2.05% 1841 3,832 +1.03% 1846 4,153 +1.62% 1851 4,135 −0.09% 1856 4,167 +0.15% 1861 4,178 +0.05% 1866 4,486 +1.43% 1872 4,631 +0.53% 1876 4,782 +0.81% 1881 4,917 +0.56% 1886 5,172 +1.02% 1891 5,274 +0.39% 1896 5,453 +0.67%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1901 5,508 +0.20% 1906 5,463 −0.16% 1911 5,877 +1.47% 1921 5,407 −0.83% 1926 5,609 +0.74% 1931 5,469 −0.50% 1936 5,704 +0.84% 1946 5,643 −0.11% 1954 5,828 +0.40% 1962 6,962 +2.25% 1968 8,558 +3.50% 1975 11,794 +4.69% 1982 12,845 +1.23% 1990 14,203 +1.26% 1999 16,132 +1.43% 2007 18,035 +1.40% 2012 19,107 +1.16% 2017 20,622 +1.54%
Source: EHESS[3] and INSEE (1968-2017)[4]

Notable people

• Pauline de Lézardière, born in Challans, 25 March 1754, died Proustière Castle, Poiroux, 8 February 1835. Historian.
• Constance Picaud, born in Challans, 5 July 1998. Footballer for France.

Twin towns — sister cities

Challans is twinned with:

• Saronno, Italy (2004)

See also

• Communes of the Vendée department